Bands of Gold: 1981
by Mice
Summary: In 1981, Bobby Drake discovers something about his father that will haunt him forever. Part of the "Everyone Says I Love You" series.
1. Bands of Gold, pt 1

****

**Standard Mice Disclaimer**

Mice is in no way associated with the Marvel Comics Group. She is merely trying to write a story and this is all she has to show for it. A noble effort. Though she would one day like to be paid for writing, please don't send her any money (send mail to urmonkeyifudo@yeahright.com on instructions to send her money). The characters of Bobby Drake, Hank McCoy and Jubilee, belong to the Marvel Comics Group. Holland, Jacob, Bert, Cliff, Hollis, Annie, Gary, and Nan are of my own mind. Any archiving of this story that is unaware of her attention will be ily received (Read: Tikki Curse). If you e-mail her, explain your intentions to archive the story and address of your archive, she will be more than gracious and will probably do something nice for you, like bake you brownies, not to mention archiving the story. She just wants to know where she can drool over the sight of her name. If you want to e-mail her comments, do it at esily@aol.com. You'll also get some brownies out of the deal, but it's not really that great of a reward because she can't cook. 

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Bands of Gold: 1981

By Mice

Chapter 1

She sat at her vanity and looked in the mirror and managed a half smile. She was searching for her youth in the new bulges in her stomach, hips, and thighs that had come from two pregnancies. Finding nothing that could bring her to a full smile, she took out a picture from the top drawer of the vanity and began to compare the young beauty queen's face with her own. To the common, untrained eye, the faces were identical, but Hollis Bass's cruel, focused eye could the few differences between Miss Texas 1974 and Mrs. Bass 1981. 

Hollis smiled to herself out of pity as she placed the picture back in the drawer. "And it's only going ta get worse..." She rested her head in her hands, careful not to smudge her make up. She was now eye level with a framed picture of her new family; her husband, Jacob, their children, Holland and Heathcliff, and herself. After a few moments of staring into the happy mother's eyes, Hollis slammed the picture face down. 

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"You signed him up to do what?!" William Drake bellowed at his wife as he sat down in his chair. 

"Willie, please? I need some time for myself and I want to get Bobby interested in other things besides baseball," Maddy explained while gingerly setting down a cold beer for her husband. 

"Then why didn't you sign him up for swimming, Maddy -- or at least get him in one of those damn reading programs at the library!" 

"Bobby hates swimming, you know that, hon--" 

William grunted as he sipped his beer. "He needs to learn, Maddy, you just can't keep coddling him." 

Maddy nodded submissively. "Then I'll go and see when the next class opens at the Y. And as for the library, Bobby's already signed up and reading." 

"Then why for the love of God, Maddy, did you sign him up for ballet!" 

"It's not ballet, William, it's just dance class!" 

"No son of mine is going to wear tights!" 

Maddy pouted. "My brother took dance and he turned out fine..." 

William snorted. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" 

"To cite your brother as an example of masculinity ... Maddy, I have heard some of the strangest ideas come out of that mouth of your's and this is by far the most preposterous!" 

"Well, if he didn't have that shiksa for a wife, you'd see just how manly Jake is!" 

William threw his bottle of beer against the wall in frustration. "Damn it, Maddy, see what you made me do? Now, all I want is to sit here with a cold beer and read the paper, and I don't want to hear about how my son should be prancing around in tights, all right?" 

Maddy cast her eyes down as she began to clean up the mess. "All right, William. If that's what you want." 

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Bobby jumped up and down on home plate which was a purloined copy of his aunt's copy of Cosmopolitan. "Bobby "The Heat" Drake has hit another grand slam for the Yankees, and wins the World Series!" 

Holly Bass rolled her eyes at her cousin. "Bobby, I haven't even thrown the ball, yet!" 

"Yeah, but when you do ... grand slam!" Bobby started doing his victory dance again. 

"If you don't stop doing that stupid dance, I'm going to throw this ball at your--" 

"Holly, c'mon, be nice!" Cliff Bass shouted to his sister from the sidelines. "You can be mean to Bobby when we're done playing baseball, okay?" 

Holly smiled in agreement. "Deal!" Holly wound up her arm and was getting ready to throw the ball when she heard her mother scream. 

"Holland Suzanne Bass, just what in the hell do you think you are doing?!" Hollis Bass yelled from back door of her porch. "Ah have half a mind ta go out there and drag you in back in here!" 

"We're just playing baseball, Mom!" Holly whined. 

"No daughter of mine is going ta play sports! Now, come in here and help me with dinner." 

Holly rolled her eyes and threw her mitt and the ball down on the ground. 

"Don't roll your eyes at me, Holly." 

"Well, don't tell me what to do, Mom." 

"Don't take that tone with me." 

"Don't take **that** tone with me!" 

"Ah have half a mind ta--" 

"Is that all you have?" 

Bobby and Cliff covered their ears as Hollis slammed the door. "Boy, am I glad that I don't have your mother..." 

Cliff shrugged. "She's not bad, Bobby, really. It's just that Holly is a brat ... or that's what Mom says." 

Bobby scrunched his small brow. "Wow ... I mean, Holly is a lot of things, but I think 'brat' is taking it a bit far..." 

Cliff shrugged again. "I guess. She tells me that I'm 'not right' ... I don't have a clue about what she's talking about." 

Bobby nodded. "My dad tells me that all the time." 

Cliff shook his head as he laid back in a patch of clover. "Do you think he'll let you take the dance lessons?" 

"I dunno," Bobby shrugged as he joined his cousin. "I'm not too happy about it myself, but if this is what I'm going to have to do to get out of swimming lessons, I'm willing to be a sissy." 

Cliff nodded. "Me too." 

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"Ah'm just tryin' ta get you ta act more lady like, Holland. Your great-grandmother Helen used ta teach me all sorts of wonderful things when Ah was your age--" 

"Obviously cooking wasn't one of them." 

Hollis planted her hands firmly on her hips so they wouldn't accidentally slip and hit someone. "If Ah would have said that ta mah mother, she would have told Daddy to go out and get a switch ta swat me with." 

"A what?" 

"A switch ... a thin branch from a bush?" 

"Not following you, Mom." 

"Those things that you and your brother and your cousin use for swords." 

"Oh." Holly looked around the kitchen in confusion. "What do you want me to do for dinner?" 

"Ah need you ta get me the phone book." 

Holly sighed. She knew her mother actually cooking something was a longshot. "Where are we ordering take out from?" 

"Il Fornaio." 

Holly's eyes flew open. "Grandma and Grandpa are coming over?!" 

Hollis nodded. 

Holly let out a small sigh of relief. Is Nana and Poppa Bass were coming over, her mother wouldn't notice her and focus all her attention on trying to get on Nana's good side. 

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"Willie, are you ready?" 

"Ready for what?" 

"We're going over to Hollis and Jake's for dinner!" 

William hmmphed. "Great. More take out food." 

"Well, some women just can't cook." 

"Just like your brother to choose the most incompetent woman on earth to marry." 

"Willie, please stop ... I don't want Bobby to think we're arguing." 

"And there you go again, Madeline, coddling him! Making excuses!" 

"He's just a boy, William!" 

"And he'll remain that way if you keep at him like you have!" William got to his feet and grabbed his coat. "Well, I'm ready, where's the boy?" 

Maddy bit her lip as she mumbled an answer. 

"Where?" 

"He's already at Jake's." 

William closed his eyes. "Madeline, what have I told you about Bobby hanging out at that house?" 

"They're his cousins, Willie! You can't keep him away from them!" 

"Well what's wrong with Joel?" 

"Joel is thirteen and Bobby's seven!" 

"What about Mary?" 

"Bobby doesn't like playing with girls." 

"He plays with Holland!" 

Maddy snorted. "I don't think that child qualifies being a girl." 

William nodded as he grabbed his hat and opened the door. "Well, at least we agree on something..." 

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Holly looked fondly to the back yard where Bobby and Cliff were seated eating hot dogs and macaroni and cheese. _Lucky bastards,_ she thought as Bobby stuck two round pieces of hot dog on each eye and pretended to be Little Orphan Annie. _Just because I'm ten, I'm considered old enough to sit here at this stupid table and eat their stupid food and stupid conversation, not to mention their stupid arguments..._

"Well, how nice of you, Ms. Lubbock, Italian food again. You really must give me the recipe." 

"Ah couldn't possibly, Hannah, it's a family recipe, handed down from Lubbock to Lubbock." 

"to fornaio," Holly added under her breath. 

Hannah smiled at her granddaughter and gave her a wink. "But we're all family now, Ms. Lubbock--" 

"Then you could start calling her Hollis or Mrs. Bass, Mom--" Jacob Bass spoke up. 

"Jacob, I wasn't talking to you." 

Jacob nodded solemnly as he went on eating his chicken Parmesan. 

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"Maddy? I'm ready to leave!" William hollered as Hannah and Seth settled into the plush couches that adorned the too modest middle class house. His mother in law liked him enough, though the feeling was never mutual. And all his father in law did was sit there and quote old song lyrics from his days as a piano player. 

He couldn't get out of there fast enough. 

"Sorry, Will, Jake's ulcer is acting up again..." 

As Madeline turned to leave, William mouthed a curse. 

"Don't worry, Will, Seth and I will take care of the kids ... you go out and smoke your cigar, all right?" 

William took Hannah's offer and walked out of the living room into the backyard with Hollis hot on his heels. 

"Who wants to help me sing with Poppa?" 

A faint chorus of "Me's!" rung in William's ears as he lit his cigar. 

"Nice night." 

William looked to his side and found Hollis. "What are you doing out here, Face?" 

"Talking with mah brother in law." 

William raised an eyebrow. "And is that all it is?" 

Hollis turned her eyes down to the grass as if it were the most interesting thing alive. "If that's all you want it to be, Will. You know Ah'm here if you evah need something..." Hollis's voice trailed off as she took William's hand into her own and placed it near her hips. 

"Stop it," William managed to say. "I love my wife--" 

"As you've told me repeatedly. But Will, when was the last time you made love to her? Took her inta your arms and just looked at her?" 

"I ... don't remember," William answered, getting more and more comfortable. 

Hollis brought William closer to her body. "Ah remember the last time you took me inta your arms. Our New Year's Eve party. You wanted ta kiss me, Will. Why didn't you?" 

"I love Maddy." 

"You keep saying that, Will, but you nevah do anything that shows me any different." Hollis shifted William's head to where his eyes were locked with her's. "Why don't you kiss me now, Will?" 

William opened his mouth up to answer when the screen door screeched open and Maddy stood in the opening. "Willie? We can go home now." 

"I'll be there in a minute, Maddy." William watched as his wife went back into the house before turning back to Hollis, not able to say a word to her, and then left. 

Hollis smiled as she watched William disappear into the house. "You didn't have ta say it, Will. Ah know."


	2. Bands of Gold, pt 2

****

**Standard Mice Disclaimer**

Mice is in no way associated with the Marvel Comics Group. She is merely trying to write a story and this is all she has to show for it. A noble effort. Though she would one day like to be paid for writing, please don't send her any money (send mail to urmonkeyifudo@yeahright.com on instructions to send her money). The characters of Bobby Drake, Hank McCoy and Jubilee, belong to the Marvel Comics Group. Holland, Jacob, Bert, Cliff, Hollis, Annie, Gary, and Nan are of my own mind. Any archiving of this story that is unaware of her attention will be ily received (Read: Tikki Curse). If you e-mail her, explain your intentions to archive the story and address of your archive, she will be more than gracious and will probably do something nice for you, like bake you brownies, not to mention archiving the story. She just wants to know where she can drool over the sight of her name. If you want to e-mail her comments, do it at esily@aol.com. You'll also get some brownies out of the deal, but it's not really that great of a reward because she can't cook. 

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Bands of Gold: 1981

By Mice

Chapter 2

Bobby rushed out of his dance class with Cliff and into his mother's car. "Did you have fun today, Bobby?" 

Bobby nodded. He didn't want to say it out right to his mother or to anyone else, but he was really having fun in dance. It was pretty cool to be one of the only boys in a class overflowing with girls. He knew he'd look back on these classes when he was much older with much fondness, though he didn't know why quite yet. 

One of the other perks of being the only boy in the class meant that he had a lead part in the class's recital. In fact, he had the lead boy's role because Cliff had no concept of rhythm and the other boy, Rocky something, was a clutz. Bobby had natural grace and skill, or so his teacher told him. 

Maddy stopped the car in front of her brother's house. Partly to drop off Cliff. "Now Bobby, I want to make sure you get really wet and -- oh! I almost forgot, here!" Maddy dug into her purse and brought out a spray bottle. 

"Mom, you already got me one of these..." 

"Yes, but this one has water from the pool! I got it when I was out shopping. This will give you that authentic chlorine smell!" 

Bobby grinned. "Cool!"

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William helped Hollis zip up her dress. "We only have about three more minutes before Maddy comes home, do you have everything?" 

Hollis patted herself. "Ah think so ... how do Ah look?" 

William gazed at her and pulled her into a kiss. "Hideous." 

Hollis playfully hit him in the arm. "Same time tomorrow?" 

William shook his head. "Bobby doesn't have swim lessons until Wednesday." 

"Damn it!" 

William laughed. "You are so pathetic looking when you swear." 

"It's hard ta be this beautiful and this frustrated at the same time!" 

William pulled her into another kiss. "You need to go." 

Hollis shimmied her way out of William's arms. "Ah'll see you Wednesday." 

William watched as Hollis left the house and remained in the door frame until Maddy and Bobby came home. "Did you do good today, son?" 

Bobby nodded. 

"Good." William turned to his wife and kissed her blandly on the cheek. "And dinner is going to be...?" 

"Chicken with my parents, Jake, Hollis, and the kids." 

"Cliff and Holly are coming over? Cool!" Bobby said, bouncing around. 

"Why didn't you tell me, Maddy?" 

"I did tell you, William ... I told you last night." 

"And that did a whole lot of good, didn't it?" 

Maddy lowered her eyes in shame. "I'm sorry." 

William growled as he headed out the door. 

"William?" 

"I'm going for a walk, Madeline." 

"Please be home in time for--" 

"I will, Madeline, for crying out loud, I will!" William Drake slammed the front door to his house and let out a sigh. He looked through the front window to see his wife trembling towards the kitchen. "Crap." 

William quickly went to his car and pulled a cigar from underneath the driver's seat, lit it, and started his walk.

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Holland sneered with every note that came out of Hollis Bass's mouth as she sang while brushing her hair. "Why are you so happy?" 

Hollis grinned. "Ah'm always in a good mood, Holly." 

Holland rolled her eyes. "You know that we're going over to Aunt Maddy's house for dinner, right?" 

"Of course, Holly!" Hollis pinned a lock of chocolate brown hair in a tortoise shell clip. 

"And you know Nana and Poppa are coming, too, right?" 

"Of course, Holly!" Hollis pinned another lock of hair, but this time, she nearly pinned it into her hand. "Ow!" 

Holland gloated. "Okay, Mom. Just wanted to make sure you knew."

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"Poppa!" Bobby rushed up gracefully into his grandfather's arms. 

Seth grinned as he hugged his grandson. "Can't help loving that boy of mine!" 

"Mom, what took you so long coming in?" Madeline inquired as her mother finally made it in. "Is your leg bothering you again?" 

"Yes, Madeline, if I'm even the slightest bit slow getting from point a to point b, it must because of my leg that was broken over twenty years ago that seems to still be bothering me, even though it's warm and sunny out. I swear, child, you could have been the next Sherlock Holmes." 

Madeline laughed. "Oh, Mom!" 

Nan rolled her eyes. "I was checking to see if Jacob was here yet, that's all." 

Madeline went over to hug her mother. "No, you and Dad are the first to get here." 

Nan sighed. She loved her daughter, but sometimes the things that would come out of her mouth ... at least she married well. "Where's William?" 

"He went for a walk." 

"Madeline, a man needs his cigar! You should let him smoke in his own house." 

"Mom, you know how I hate for people to smoke in my house!" 

On cue, Seth lit up his cigar. 

Nan gloated. "It's not your house, Madeline, it's William's. It's the least you can do for him if your not going to give him another child." 

Madeline blushed. "We've been through this, too, Mom ... you know I can't have anymore children." 

"Just because one doctor said so...! Tell me at least that you and William still have sex!" 

"Mom!" Maddy looked over to make sure her son didn't hear her grandmother. "It's a little hard to explain..." 

"It's a little hard to explain or is William just a little hard?" 

"Mom!" Maddy whined again. "I don't want to discuss this with you." 

"Why not, Madeline? Your father and I--" 

"Mom, please--" 

"Twice a day. Thrice on Sunday." 

Maddy whimpered. 

"It's been like that since we were married. Madeline, it's open season! You two are still fairly young, you should be going at it like rabbits." 

Maddy sunk down in a chair, knowing that she was defeated. 

"Is it that William has trouble getting it--" 

"No!!" Maddy paused. 

Nan grinned. "Good. We have a start. It's an urban legend, that "it happens to all men" -- your father and have been married for nearly forty years, now, and not once has your father failed me yet." 

Maddy groaned. 

"In fact, just before we drove over, your father was--" 

"Mom?" Jacob called from the front entrance of the Drake home. 

"Jacob!" Maddy rushed over to hug her brother and whispered into his ear, "Thank you." 

"Was she talking about her and Dad...?" Jacob whispered back. 

Maddy hugged her brother even more tightly.

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"Are you taking notes, Jacqueline?" Nan held up her fork that had some chicken on it. "Chicken. With Rosemary. No phone book needed to make." 

"Mom..." 

"Well, Madeline, the girl has to learn to cook one day, and when she does, you can be sure it won't be from her mother." Nan belched. 

"Excuse yourself, Mom!" 

Nan snorted. "Really, Madeline, if anyone should be excusing themselves, it should be you -- you know perfectly well that chicken makes me gassy." 

Bobby looked intently on his mashed potatoes and green beans, sculpting his masterpiece. 

Seth compared his sculpted masterpiece with his grandson's and gave him a thumbs up. 

Maddy noticed the exchange and spoke up. "Don't encourage him, Dad!" 

"That's me!" Seth sang. "One day I caught an eagle, to big to tote, I changed him for a sparrow, a jack ass and a goat." 

"We've talked about singing at the table, Dad..." 

"That's me!" Seth sang. "One day--" 

"Dad, have another roll," Jacob said while thrusting the basket of bread his way. 

"Rolls!" Seth said giddily. "Just what I need to finish my creation..." 

"Please, Dad--" 

"That's me!" 

"Don't start again!" 

"One day a vicious monkey chased me a mile or two. I hid behind a donkey, the donkey fainted, too!" 

"Bobby!" 

"That's me!" Bobby sang. 

Madeline looked over to her husband who was quietly eating his food. "William, aren't you going to talk to your son?" 

"Dinner's good, Maddy," William spoke absentmindedly. 

"William? Are you okay?" 

"The mashed potatoes are fine, Maddy." 

"William?" 

William got up from the table. "I'm going to go watch some television, Maddy." 

Madeline watched her husband leave the table and looked back to her mother. "You know I don't like Dad encouraging Bobby like that, Mom! You see what does to William!" 

Nan rolled her eyes for the tenth time that minute. "Oh, Maddy, open your eyes! Your husband has bigger and more important things on his mind than Captain Spalding!" 

"That's me!" Seth and Bobby sang in unison.


	3. Bands of Gold, pt 3

****

**Standard Mice Disclaimer**

Mice is in no way associated with the Marvel Comics Group. She is merely trying to write a story and this is all she has to show for it. A noble effort. Though she would one day like to be paid for writing, please don't send her any money (send mail to urmonkeyifudo@yeahright.com on instructions to send her money). The characters of Bobby Drake, Hank McCoy and Jubilee, belong to the Marvel Comics Group. Holland, Jacob, Bert, Cliff, Hollis, Annie, Gary, and Nan are of my own mind. Any archiving of this story that is unaware of her attention will be ily received (Read: Tikki Curse). If you e-mail her, explain your intentions to archive the story and address of your archive, she will be more than gracious and will probably do something nice for you, like bake you brownies, not to mention archiving the story. She just wants to know where she can drool over the sight of her name. If you want to e-mail her comments, do it at esily@aol.com. You'll also get some brownies out of the deal, but it's not really that great of a reward because she can't cook. 

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Bands of Gold: 1981

By Mice

Chapter 3

William looked at his wife once more with an almost wild amazement. "I told you, Maddy, that I don't want my boy in dance class. What makes you think that going to this dance recital is going to change my mind?" 

"I just have a feeling that after you see these kids in action and Bobby's face, you'll change your mind," Maddy explained calmly while making pulp out of her program. "And besides, this is your nephew's dancing debut, don't you want to be here for that?" 

William grunted as he shifted in his seat. "A dance recital in this place in July. Haven't these people heard of air conditioning?" 

"Shush, William. Jacob and Hollis are here." Maddy waved to her brother from her seat. "Where's Mom and Dad?" 

"They're back stage wishing Cliff luck," Jacob said with a guilty smile. 

"Is Bobby back there with them?" 

"Not in the sense that he's back there getting ready to dance, William, no ... " Jacob went on nervously. As he sat down next to his sister, she promptly hit him. 

"Bobby will be out before long, Willie," Maddy said with a small smile. 

William grabbed his hat and stood up. "Hmmph. I'm going out for a smoke before this thing begins." 

"It's going to begin in a few minutes!" 

"Then I'll be back in a few minutes then, won't I?" 

"Ah think Ah'll join Will for a bit ... keep him company ... " Hollis excused herself quickly. 

Newly alone, Madeline hit her brother again. "I don't know why I ask you to lie, Jacob. You've never been able to do it. Never." 

"Hollis is having another affair, Maddy." 

Maddy sighed. "Still not an excuse, Jacob." 

"Still a problem, though." 

"Only because you're still with her. You need to leave her. I know if William ever cheated on me or even thought about it ... " Maddy shook her head. "I just don't know."

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The lights in the Port Jefferson Theater for the Performing Arts dimmed and the audience was mostly hushed. As hushed as you can be in a performing arts theater will several children and miffed adults in the stifling July humidity with no air conditioning. The almost silence was drowned out by the voice of David Byrne on the loud speaker. 

/And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack/ 

William Drake looked tenetively up at the stage where a group of girls Bobby's age were dancing in spangled black spandex costumes. Out of the group there were only three boys and William instantly doubted the power their father's had in the house. Who even knew if they had fathers? 

/And you may find yourself in another part of the world/ 

Cliff, clad in black spandex leotard and a matching black head band with sequins, attempted to do a flying leap and landed clumsily on his knees, grinning all the way because people were looking at him, unaware of the idiot he was making himself out to be. William chuckled to himself, resolving that no son of his would ever wear spandex. Not his boy, his spitting image. After all, like father, like son. 

/And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile/ 

William looked over to Hollis who was sitting next to Jacob. Proud of the woman that was beside him, and unaware of the idiot he was making himself out to be. Like son, like father. 

/And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife/ 

Maddy nudged William to make him look back up on the stage where one of the other boys got up to take his turn at a solo. Clad in the same spandex outfit as Cliff, William's mouth fell open as he saw his only son spread his arms open like a bird and began to spin his way into sissydom. 

/And you may ask yourself — Well ... How did I get here?/

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"But I liked dance classes, Mom ... !" 

"And I liked watching you dance, Bobby." 

"I was GOOD!" 

"You were an angel." 

"Then why do I have to quit?" 

"Because your father doesn't want you to do it." 

"That's all?" 

"Isn't that enough?"

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It was a lazy Wednesday afternoon. Bobby would have been playing with Cliff, but he was at dance class. Where he should have been. Where he would have been if his father wasn't such a jerk. Instead, Bobby was riding his bike around Port Jefferson, waiting until his swimming lessons were over. No one was going to make him get in the water if he didn't want to. Not even his stupid father. 

Bobby looked at his watch; he had about half an hour until he should have been home. He contemplated going around the neighborhood once again on his bike, to help purport the myth that he was learning how to swim, but something in the young seven year old snapped. "I don't wanna lie anymore," he said in a small, sure voice. 

He peddled down the street with nervous excitement. He had never gone against his father before and wasn't quite sure how he would take the news that Bobby wanted to continue dancing. Surely his father would listen to him. 

Bobby ran up the few steps to the house, not noticing the extra car that was parked up front. Bobby looked around the house for his father, careful not to yell out for him. His father always got mad when he yelled inside the house. Not finding his dad anywhere, Bobby went to check his parent's bedroom. "Dad?" he asked in a quiet voice. "Are you in here? I need to talk--" 

Bobby's seven year-old eyes finally digested the scene that was in front of him that didn't seem too terribly real. He didn't understand it fully, but he had seen and heard some things in his few years of living, and he knew that this was one thing that fathers were not supposed to do with aunts. 

"Dad...?" Bobby asked once again, his voice now choked up with confusion. This time, his father heard the voice of his son and looked at him. 

"Robert!" William's voice wasn't angry, just surprised, but it was enough to frighten the boy, Hollis, and himself. 

Bobby opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Instead, Bobby backed up and ran out of the house and rode his bike down the street, trying to forget about what he just saw.

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The Drake and Bass family gathered around the elder Bass family's back yard for a private celebration of Jacob and Hollis's eleventh anniversary. Seth was at the grill cooking everything but chicken, being sensitive to his wife's dietary needs. Cliff and Holly were playing a game that had something to do with the toilet plunger. Maddy and Jacob were talking privately underneath the maple tree, too engrossed in each other to notice their respective spouses were at opposite ends. 

At the far end of the backyard where no one could see, Hannah sat on the porch swing, rocking back and forth with a dull smile. Next to Hannah was her grandson Bobby, who eyes were now puffy and red after a good cry. He tried his best to try and tell her in his seven year-old grasp of English what had happened, but could only get a few words out at a time before he began to cry again, then Hannah would try her best to soothe him by stroking his hair. Hannah knew exactly what her grandson was trying to tell her. This was why her smile was dull and her touch was gentle. 

Hannah turned her attention to Hollis who kept to herself, rather than throw herself at William. She shook her head as she tried to understand why out of all the people, William, the man she had always known to be solid and strong would do something so horrible to his family. 

Bobby moved himself a bit to get more comfortable on the swing and Hannah leaned down to kiss his head. It would be a long time before anyone in the family would ever be comfortable again.

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Two weeks later, Hollis Bass left her family. Eight months later, she gave birth to a baby boy. 

Bobby Drake never took another dance class. 

William Drake never forgave himself. 

Madeline Drake never had a clue.


End file.
